Abstract This paper compares the works of Sheridan LeFanu and EdgarAllenPoe. It focuses predominantly on why Poe is better known, although they address similar themes. It explains that LeFanu's stories, though technically well-written and at least briefly engaging are rigidly conventional by today's standards and thus immediately forgotten. It points out, however, that Poe's stories baffle the reader, sending them through a tangled web of complicated sentences, strenuous adjectives, and puzzling layers of multiple interpretations.
From the Paper "The mainstream film industry appears to be crawling with insipid, run-of-the-mill movies, which despite managing to temporarily captivate our attention, never quite seem to leave much of an impression. They essentially serve as a momentary means of time disposal. Occasionally, however a film comes along which portrays such brilliantly penetrating individuality and piercing emotion, we find ourselves endlessly haunted, long after our initial viewing. The world of literature can be similarly divided. Two prime examples of such opposites emerged from the literary horror genre of the mid-nineteenth century: Sheridan LeFanu and Edgar Allen Poe."
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses EdgarAllenPoe's poem "To Helen (Poem of a Later Life)", as a piece of persuasive flattery. The writer contends that the flattery is self-serving and that Poe was interested in his artistic legacy as much as persuading the recipient to marry him.
From the Paper "Edgar Allan Poe was a poet short-story writer and critic. During his prolific writing career, Poe would produce many volumes of verse short stories and criticism. He was also a man whose life was characterized by frequent financial difficulties, failed or tragic love affairs and or marriages and a seemingly unquenchable romantic. A number of his love affairs served him well as the source of ideas for his poems among which "To Helen (Poem of Later Life)" ... "
A review of the theme of darkness in the novels "The Fall of the House of Usher", and "The Pit and the Pendulum" and the poem "For Annie" by EdgarAllenPoe.
2,400 words (approx. 9.6 pages), 13 sources, 2002, $ 89.95
Abstract This paper explores two stories by EdgarAllenPoe, "The Fall of the House of Usher", and "The Pit and the Pendulum". These stories are considered in relation to a poem Poe wrote called, "For Annie", a verse written for a friend of his, Annie Richmond. The theme of this paper is about "darkness," where darkness is a metaphor that imbues Poe's horror stories with themes of consciousness and experiences with terror. Because Poe was especially interested in the susceptibility of the imagination, this paper attempts to "imagine" EdgarAllenPoe in relation to varying metaphors of darkness that characterize the author's life and literature.
Abstract The first section considers significant life events, emphasizing Poe's battles with mental illness and addiction. The second section examines some of the dominant literary themes in Poe's works. Third, this essay provides a detailed critical analysis of some of Poe's major works. The paper concludes with personal perspectives of EdgarAllenPoe.
Abstract This paper describes EdgarAllenPoe's short story, "The Tell-Tale Heart" as a character-driven narrative that lures the reader into a plot seen only from one man's perspective. The writer notes that Poe is notable for a literary style that lends itself to this particular genre of gothic fiction. The paper illustrates the wonderful and dark tale of psychological horror and drama that Poe weaves, through his skilled usage of dramatic elements like plot, characterization, style, point of view, style, and theme.
From the Paper "Short stories contain condensed versions of human pathos and experience that leave indelible marks on the psyche. Edgar Allen Poe's classic "The Tell-Tale Heart" combines elements of macabre and suspense to create an exceptional psychological drama. Standing out among American authors, Poe stands on dark themes to weave his short stories. "The Tell-Tale Heart" is particularly revealing of character; it is basically the monologue of one character, the unnamed narrator. This protagonist tells the reader his innermost fears and dreams, which border on the insane. In fact, Poe's protagonist refutes his madness directly, using unique second person point of view: ?You fancy me mad.? His character is lifelike from the first sentences of the story and the reader perceives everything through the senses of the narrator. "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a character-driven narrative that lures the reader into a plot seen only from one man's perspective. Poe is notable for a literary style that lends itself to this particular genre of gothic fiction."
Abstract This paper discusses the author EdgarAllenPoe, who was orphaned at an early age and had to give up his place at university because he could not meet the costs. It provides a review of the main events of his life as well as some of his major works such as "The Raven", "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "The Gold Bug" . It analyzes how Poe's use of dark and sinister imagery is perhaps a reflection on himself and how he viewed the direction his life was going. It shows how there is little doubt the death of his mother had a great impact on his youth, as did the death of his beloved wife during his adult life. Death plays an important role in his poems and short stories and the author feels that this was how Poe was best able to deal with the pain and sorrow he suffered from losing two people he loved very dearly.
From the Paper "In "The Fall of the House of Usher", Poe tells the tale of Roderick and Madeline Usher and their fall into despair and madness. The story is seen from the perspective of Roderick's boyhood friend who we come to know as the narrator. As we stay with Roderick and his friend we notice the dissipation of Roderick's personality and in some ways this is mirrored in their reading of the Mad Trist which he "had called it a favorite of Usher's more in sad jest than in earnest"(Tales, pg160). The hero of the tale, Ethelred must break into the dwelling of the hermit and slay the dragon that guards the palace in order to obtain the brass shield which is hung upon its wall. "
Abstract The paper examines two of EdgarAllenPoe's best and most moving pieces -"The Black Cat" and "The Tell-Tale Heart." The paper describes how in "The Black Cat" the narrator is a delusional man who has a pet cat and how in "The Tell-Tale Heart" Poe depicts a narrator who is not only delusional but clearly insane. The paper highlights that in both of these stories there is a common thread of delusion and paranoia. The paper concludes that although Poe wrote his work in the mid-19th century the themes are still relevant today.
From the Paper "For decades, Poe has been regarded as a leader in gothic literature. His stories (along with his poetry) are often filled with violence and hatred and because they are dark and graphic, they usually depict the narrator as twisted and distraught.
The stories of Poe usually portray a narrator laden with self-hatred and said narrator often projects his own feelings onto the audience and other characters within the story. In "The Black Cat," the narrator is a man who places all blame for his alcohol indulgence--and later murders--on intemperance and perverseness rather than on his own insanity and lack of self-control."
Abstract This paper reviews and discusses the short story, 'The Black Cat' by EdgarAllenPoe. According to the paper, Poe is one of the masters of horror fiction and his story, 'The Black Cat', is intended both to shock as well as educate. According to the paper, the central theme of this story is that the real nature of true horror and terror does not necessarily exist outside of ourselves or in the dark night, but can exist within the human heart.
From the Paper "Throughout the story there is a comparison between two aspects of human nature. These two aspects however are seen to exist within the same human being. On the one hand we see that the main character is originally a good and kind man but that his nature changes radically for the worse. While alcohol is suggested as the catalyst for this change, the story also makes it clear that the transformation of the man for good to bad is a result of something more than just drinking. "
Abstract This paper investigates the biography of EdgarAllenPoe in order to see if there is a connection between his life and the themes of horror expressed in his writings.
Abstract Many of the works of EdgarAllenPoe take us into the deepest and darkest recesses of the human mind. Luckily, we are usually privileged to have as our guide, a narrator who is intimately familiar with these gloomy, gothic caverns. This paper examines the role of the narrator in works such as "The Cask of Amontillado", "Tell Tale Heart" and "The Murders in the Rue Morgue", among others.
From the Paper "The fact that Dupin is the reader's guide to the depraved mind causes us to puzzle whether it is possible to understand the deranged. If even the insane follow a certain logic, even if it is a logic that is peculiar to one individual, can we then still speak of that individual as "insane?" Many of Poe's narrators appear to be more "upset" (as in dis-arranged) in their minds then completely without any hold on the wider reality that we all share."
Abstract This paper takes a look at the life and work of EdgarAllenPoe, focusing on his works where the plot included a protagonist that is buried alive. According to the paper, being buried alive was a very controversial topic of the time.
From the Paper "Berenice," another one of Poe's stories that shows signs of premature burial, starts off with the main character, Egaeus, describing his childhood and also making mention of his cousin Berenice. Egaues is in poor health as he suffers a mental disorder and so is Berenice who suffers from a physically deteriorating disease. One day while meditating in the library where his mother died, Egaeus, now engaged to Berenice becomes fascinated with her teeth. Several days pass and Egaeus cannot take his mind off Berenice's teeth. After receiving word that Berenice is dead, Egaeus visited her grave and with the physicians instruments in hand. While at her grave she begins to move and the bandage on her mouth broke, Egaeus took this as an opportunity to remove all thirty-two of Berenice's teeth. A servant finds him back at the library with his clothing all messy and muddy, and tells him that he heard screams the night before, the box with Berenice's teeth then falls to the floor and exposes his crime. This story shows the death of a loved one, a tragedy that happened to Poe himself so many times throughout his life. Poe was continuously loosing his lovers to death. First was Mrs. Standard and in the end Virginia. "
Abstract This paper discusses the life of the great American writer, Edgar Allan Poe, who passed away on October 7, 1849. The paper presents excerpts from several obituaries written about Poe, in order to describe his life and work. The paper then provides some generalizations and critiques of Poe's works, particularly his famous poem, "The Raven."
Table of Contents:
Introduction: The Life of Poe Poe's Literature - Generalizations and Critiques of his Work
The Raven
From the Paper "Meanwhile when approaching a story by Edgar Allan Poe, the reader knows full well what to expect; something grim, shocking, bloody, evil, dark, sinister, and possibly something surprising is bound to happen. It may even be hideously frightening, and that will not be a shock to the senses of an experienced reader of Poe. But the real point of reviewing a Poe short story in the context of literary criticism, the real challenge, is to learn from the master himself. Reading Poe should be more than mere entertainment; it should be a learning experience in terms of how to use irony, how to produce sardonic humor, and how to employ bold and even cold narrative."
Abstract The paper discusses the most important influences on EdgarAllenPoe's creativity. The paper looks at his personality, the death and sickness of the most important women in his life and the social problems he was confronted with, especially those related to his career as an editor. The paper shows how these aspects of Poe's life are crucial to the interpretation of his work, accounting for his originality and his pessimistic view of life.
From the Paper "The controversial American poet Edgar Allan Poe was born in 1809 in Boston and dies forty years later in Baltimore, under unknown circumstances. Poe's eventful and unusual life seems, in a way, as peculiar as his work, and it is considered by many of his critics and interpreters as the main source of influence for his art. His life is marked by the deaths of many of his beloved relatives and friends: his parents, both actors, die when the poet was only two years old, his foster mother dies a little later, then his brother, and finally his wife Virginia, at the age of twenty two, after having been married to Poe for nine years. The frequent drinking, his poor health, his poverty and his social inadaptability all contribute to his formation as a writer."
Abstract This paper discusses the style of EdgarAllenPoe's writing. It specifically discusses his style, as seen in "The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether", one of his most successful "comedies". The paper shows how Poe uses the imagery of an ape to develop a strong theme throughout his work and manipulate the reader's understanding through interplay of hoaxes.
From the Paper ""Tarred and Fethered" as well as "Rue Morgue" are emblematic of Poe's style of humor. It is not intended to be "funny" in the traditional sense but is rather an elaborate hoax. Once the hoax is discovered the reader has a sense of "funny violation", in that we have discovered the hidden key and secret of the narrative. The projection of men as ape is a symbol of our base nature and the extension of our Id. This theme is strongly established through both of these narratives. Poe problematizes humor by consistently challenging us to identify the nature of his humor and who he is directing it to. "Tarred and Fethered" is an extremely elaborate hoax, and Poe uses the subtle contrasts between the genius and the dupe, to lure the reader further and further into his trap. In the end it appears harmless, as we confidently feel that we mastered the riddle. Poe presents the narrator of "Tarred and Fethered" as the final dupe, and leaves us only with a chuckle at the strange but fascinating tale."
